Before I start my reply let me make something clear. I'm not going to get
into a debate on whether or not Friends of Maine Hockey does a good job,
that is not the issue here. The question was posed asking what kinds of
things could help get more people and what detracts. FoMH are not perfect,
but they do a good job. That isn't what we should be debating, but
unfortunately that is what I feel Cathy read into my message.
At 10:05 AM 7/1/97 -0400, Cathy Hart wrote:
>I guess I am somehow uninformed. I did not ever feel that the FMH took a
>beating during the NCAA investigation. Nowhere in the report was the FMH
>proven to be non compliant. We underwent as stringent an investigation as
>any, but always were found to be under the control of the University, and to
>have quickly changed any policies or plans which were troublesome. I felt
>the only place where it was confused was in the Deadly. The one time FMH was
>specificly mentioned, Jack sent a letter clarifying the fine points, which
>(wonder of wonders!) they published unchanged. Deron's assertion that we
>"took a beating" I believe comes from two "boosters" being disassociated (one
>for life) by the University, who were not members of the FMH. That did not
>include any FMH business at all. Where was the connection? Was it simply
>the word "booster"? Being a "booster" has never equaled being a member of
>FMH!! If it were, the whole State of Maine could have been counted in '93!!
You are correct, a booster does not equal FoMH, but how many other people
know that? I'm willing to suggest that the vast majority equate hockey
booster with FoMH, no questions asked.
Keep in mind, the majority of your fans probably read the BDN or even the
Portland Press Herald and the assertion that these members were FoMH
members was not mine, but the BDN's (maybe the PPH.. who knows?). Media is
very influential, but often times it is what isn't said that makes a larger
impact. In this case just saying "boosters" did a disservice to all UM
sports team boosters.
I believe the University of Maine took a beating from the NCAA
investigation and FoMH is part of that. Regardless, even if you think FoMH
didn't take a beating you can't deny that people were likely more reluctant
to give money to the hockey program, or the athletic program in general,
after everything that happened.
>I have done some research back into old records to find Wayne's number of
>2,000-3,000 members, and found the top figure as 1256, using the "old" method
>I described before of three to four members per household. So actually we
>aren't off by as much as I thought when using Wayne's figures. Normal
>average is 400-500, remaining at a fairly constant level, with non renewals
>and new fans signing up holding about even. Last season slightly lower
>membership was hopefully an anomaly, although membership still is not a great
>percentage of the rink capacity. In fact, it probably has a close
>correlation to the (sometimes) lower attendance at games this past season.
Wasn't attendence up in 1996-97 from 1995-96? Does someone have the numbers?
[snipped stuff about what FoMH used to do]
>Bad PR, huh? I am curious. What could we do any better?
Are you saying FoMH has done the best it can? Keep in mind, a lot of the
stuff listed above that I cut out that is very good PR doesn't trickle down
to your normal joe. Also stuff from the early 90's isn't going to matter
as much to your normal fan, in my view, now. If the same fans who attended
games then aren't FoMH members now, chances are they won't be. FoMH should
gear itself to the newer fans and definately should use next year as a
slingslot.. you know with the team off postseason ban and excitement should
be very high.
All that past stuff is really great and FoMH should be proud, but what are
you doing now? Don't tell me, tell the people and get them excited about
FoMH.
>Besides the newsletter and the
>original design pin, we give members free admission to the post game
>receptions, and discounts on things like the barbecue before the Alumni game.
> We give preference to FMH members if space is a premium, like the 1993
>Banquet. We try to adapt to the changing needs of the fans, as evidenced by
>the planning of bus trips to the Boston area during the second half of the
>season when so many of the (tentatively scheduled!) games are away, and the
>development of the Web page. All of the events we host allow the fans to
>meet the players that work very hard on and off the ice to represent UMaine
>so well.
Again, I am not disputing what FoMH does. I'm saying people don't know
enough about them, they are not well known and that impacts who joins.
Has FoMH had in the past two years some form of advertising campaign to
drum up support? I'm not talking about postgame receptions or functions,
but actual advertising of some sort geared at informing the public on a
wide scale? If so, I haven't seen it. What about working with the
university to do something at games? They read advertisements over the
P.A., why can't they add FoMH? FoMH is part of the university, the two
should be working together here.
>We host post game receptions, Skate with the Bears, an auction, Alumni
>Weekend and Golf Tournament, and the Annual Awards Banquet, sending out PSA's
>across the state. We should have a terrific web page if it gets approval
>from the University administration, thereby giving us world wide visiblity.
> We publicize as much as possible with interviews, these Internet Lists, and
>fax lists (currently over a hundred and rising yearly!).
This would be very, very good for FoMH and if you could have online
membership orders you could have people across the world contribute and I
bet they would too.
>Maybe we are just like the woodwork, Deron. Always there so you really don't
>notice us! ;-} Jack has friends and folks he keeps in contact with at many
>other colleges who are amazed at what this Friends group offers and
>accomplishes regularly using only volunteers, and taking very little staff
>time proportionately. He is often found on the phone giving advice and
>encouragement to leaders of other groups across the country! I would
>appreciate a few posts from other schools, telling what their Friends groups
>provide that is not available through FMH. I personally feel FMH does a
>great job for a small bunch of volunteers with regular jobs which can get in
>the way of Maine Hockey!! :-}
I feel FoMH does a great job too. The problem isn't me not noticing FoMH,
it is the fans who attend games and are not joing FoMH who need to be made
aware of it's existence.
>No, I have come to believe that the folks who don't join fall into three
>categories:
>cannot afford $35, don't think it's "worth" $35, and don't want to give
>anything back to the program. (Some people fall into two or more of these
>categories!) While I sympathize with the folks in the first, I find it
>amazing that either of the second two categories feel they can call
>themselves "fans" of Maine Hockey.
I'm going to hope that Cathy will restate these comments because as written
I'm sure a large group of people would be extremely insulted, myself included.
What is being insinuated here is unless you are a FoMH member you are not a
true fan of Maine hockey. I cannot disagree more strongly with this
statement. What is the definition of a true Maine hockey fan, and who is
defining that? And who has the right to define that?
I would say my mother is a true hockey fan. She watches every game she can
on T.V but lives three hours away and only gets out to a couple games a
year. When she goes she screams and yells with the best student. She
bleeds blue and white. Is she somehow not a true hockey fan because she
doesn't pay $35/year to an organization that I bet she knows nothing about
(like a lot of people), and if she does know anything about?
What about my late grandmother? She was a dedicated fan, watched them on
tv all the time and when they were banned from T.V. she even listened to
them on the radio, something I doubt she did for ANYTHING else. She would
always talk about the team, ask me about the team, etc. With failing
health and a distance to travel she didn't make it to more than a couple
games in her life. However, I would call her a dedicated true Maine hockey
fan and would stronly oppose anyone who said otherwise.
I'm sure there are many examples in addition to that. If you or FoMH want
to think that everyone (the 4000+ at each game) who are not FoMH members
are not true fans, that is your right. But it may be part of the problem
as to why membership isn't at the levels you would like.
What did Wayne say, Maine is in the top 5 in ticket prices in the nation?
FoMH membership is less about people not being "fans" of Maine hockey than
the fact money is tight in these parts and if a family goes to two games on
a weekend they are probably toing to drop 70-100. It isn't cheap. I'm
sorry but it sounds extremely elitist to say that anyone who doesn't pay
$35 can't call themselves a "fan" of Maine hockey. FoMH may do a terrific
job and be a great service, but don't cheapen the support other people
bring to the program.
---
Deron Treadwell ([log in to unmask])
|
